A Broughton firefighter who treated a man with severe burns after a huge fire has been handed a prestigious award.
Trauma technician Nick McCormick performed ‘first-aid under a microscope’ as he gave emergency help to the man in front of a crowd of 150 staff gathered around the blaze at the Riverside Paint Works in Collyhurst, Manchester in November last year.
Crews from Broughton Red Watch were called to the factory after a explosion ripped through the building and fire quickly spread from a spray booth.
The casualty had suffered full thickness burns to his arms as well as partial thickness burns to part of his head and torso.
He was crouching by the front entrance with his hands in a washing up bowl when Nick arrived.
Under intense pressure to save the man’s life, the firefighter treated the man with multiple burns dressings until paramedics arrived 20 minutes later.
Nick continued to treat the man until he was airlifted to hospital by the North West Air Ambulance.
Watch Manager Chris Rainford said: “Nick performed remarkably under such intense pressure. Every one of his colleagues was in the building fighting the fire and he alone had to treat the casualty in front of a crowd.
“The paramedics who arrived at the scene later informed me that Nick’s initial intervention and subsequent care actually saved the man’s life. This is a great example of how GMFRS firefighters do more than just put out fires.”
He was handed the Certificate of Outstanding Performance accolade by Deputy County Fire Officer Jim Owen in front of colleagues at the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service headquarters on Monday 29 June.
